In a paper to be presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, the researchers note that people who quit smoking less than 15 years ago -- with a median quitting time of 8 years -- return to never-smoker levels of cardio health if they smoked less than 32 "pack years." (FYI: Pack years is a term that scientists use to measure smoking. For example, smoking one pack a day for 20 years equals 20 pack years; so does two packs a day for 10 years, or four packs a day for five years.) That means that some people who quit less than eight years ago may already have cardio health similar to never-smokers!

Ok, there's a catch. (You didn't think we were going to tell you you could just smoke it up with no consequences, right?)

"Even if you are a heavy smoker, it's beneficial for you to quit, and you will certainly have better cardiovascular health than current smokers, even if you smoked too much to get to never-smoker levels," study author Ali Ahmed, M.D., told SELF. "But you still have a significantly higher risk of non-cardiovascular disease and mortality, such as cancer and emphysema, than never smokers. And that's the reason to not ever start smoking."

Need we remind you: Smoking doesn't just harm your heart; it also causes emphysema, COPD and cancer. Plus it ages your skin and makes you smell like REALLY bad.

"If you've never smoked, your best bet is to never start," Dr. Ahmed says. We totally agree!